The present invention relates generally to hinges for vehicles and, more particularly, to a door hinge for a vehicle.
It is known to provide a door for a vehicle to open and close an opening of a vehicle body of the vehicle. Typically, the door is attached to the vehicle body with at least one, preferably a pair of vertically spaced hinges. Currently, there are door hinges that have a separate check. However, these door hinges do not have a short stand-off or an integral cam. Further, these door hinges typically require maintenance and require extra tooling to hold the door opened during the paint process. Also, these door hinges require reinforcement in the door inner panel and sealing for the check.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a door hinge for a vehicle that includes a short stand-off. It is also desirable to provide a door hinge for a vehicle that includes an integral check. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a door hinge for a vehicle that meets these desires.
The present invention is a door hinge for a door of a vehicle including a body side hinge strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle. The door hinge also includes a door side hinge strap adapted to be connected to the door for closing an opening of the vehicle body. The door hinge includes a roller assembly connected to the door side hinge strap. The door hinge further includes a cam pivotally connected to the body side hinge strap and cooperable with the roller assembly, and a spring interconnecting the body side hinge strap and the door side hinge strap to act as an integral check and urge the cam into contact with the roller assembly.
The present invention provides a door hinge having a short stand-off with an integral check for a door of a vehicle. The door hinge allows an integral check to be packaged inside a short stand-off door hinge for a vehicle. The door hinge eliminates the need for a separate check, reducing part count, assembly labor in both the paint and general assembly area. The door hinge eliminates the need for extra tooling to hold the door opened during the paint process. The door hinge eliminates the need for reinforcement in the door inner panel and sealing for the check link. The door hinge has a short stand-off that provides a thinner door (lighter weight and more interior space). The door hinge reduces cost, weight, and labor, while improving design capability and fuel economy. The door hinge has an integral cam, which allows a very tight package that enables the hinge to have a short stand-off. The door hinge incorporates a short-standoff and integral check, which is maintenance free.